Conference League has proved useful for Chelsea players but Enzo Maresca's side must now take final step | OneFootball

Reggie Walsh at the age of 16 became the youngest Englishman to ever start a European match

Present and future: Reggie Walsh started for Chelsea as Cole Palmer enjoyed a night off

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Asked whether he expected an upset at Stamford Bridge, one travelling fan at Fulham Broadway station admitted: “I don’t know, maybe. We’re already screwed anyway.”

And so it came to pass, as Maresca rang the changes for a second leg that was more procession than live tie. Chelsea were in control throughout and finished with five teenagers on the pitch; when on earth will that happen again? You imagine the answer might be never.

The youngest of the lot was Reggie Walsh, the 16-year-old whose name featuring in the starting XI at least offered this second leg some level of sell, of narrative. Walsh became the youngest Englishman ever to start in Europe, for any club.

It was the England youth player, a mere 16 years and 200 days old, who kicked the game off on his historic night, a week on from his senior debut off the bench in Stockholm, and he took assuredly to the occasion. Walsh started in midfield alongside Reece James, goalscorer Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and the ubiquitous Marc Cucurella and grew in confidence, if not in frame. Make no mistake about it, he looked like a boy, every bit the GCSE student that he is. First Stamford Bridge test passed.

There was never any danger of Chelsea failing to reach the Conference League final

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Walsh drove into space, using Jadon Sancho to his left when needed — the two combining down the left flank in the first half and the right after the interval.

This was Chelsea’s last Conference League match at Stamford Bridge for the foreseeable — cynics will jest only for four months — and it is worth reflecting on how beneficial the competition has been for the Chelsea careers of a number of players.

For Walsh, of course, but also for 17-year-olds Shim Mheuka, who came on at half-time, and Genesis Antwi, into the fray later on. And also for Enzo Maresca’s former Leicester star Dewsbsury-Hall, a rather smaller fish in this particular pond both who has scored all of his four Blues goals in this competition.

Dewsbury-Hall grabbed the game's only goal by exploiting the first expanse of space Djurgarden really afforded Chelsea all night. Reece James threaded into space for Tyrique George, who rotated and played Dewbsury-Hall to score via the post.

Europe’s third-tier competition has surely been most conducive to the development of 19-year-olds Josh Acheampong and Tyrique George. The duo are the latest youngsters off the Cobham conveyor belt to have truly taken to life at first-team level. George scored his first senior goal in Warsaw, where Acheampong was outstanding; both played from the start on Thursday night, now senior players in every regard.

Maresca’s suggestion in the lead-up that it will “make a statement that Chelsea are back” if they go on to win the Conference League was easy pickings for critics disparaging of this competition. But all Chelsea have been able to do ever since their qualifying play-off round tie against Servette is beat what is in front of them, and that they have.

One more to go. To Wroclaw, in 20 days' time.